Spanakopita with a twist

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Spanakopita with a twist. A Greek style spinach and feta pie, with puff pastry instead of filo (phyllo) pastry.

Spanakopita with a twist
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Spanakopita with a twist

Recipe by Home Cook VishCourse: Main, Appetizers, SnacksCuisine: Greek, English, AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4-5

servings
Prep time

50

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion – diced

  • 2 stems spring onion – finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 300g spinach – washed, drained and cut

  • 200g Greek feta cheese

  • 4 eggs (1 for egg wash)

  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 roll puff pastry (320g)

  • 1 cup flour (for puff pastry)

  • Equipment

  • 20cm x 30cm (9″ x 12″) tray

  • Baking paper

  • Large pan

  • Large mixing bowl

  • Egg cracking bowl

  • Any other bowls for mise en place

Directions

  • Defrost puff pastry as per directions on the packaging. Make sure that the pastry is soft. (See notes below)
  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Sauté the onions and the spring onions in a large pan until the onions are translucent. Then add the spinach in and let them wilt. Make sure that there isn’t too much liquid in the pan. The drier the better.
  • Remove the spinach and onion from the pan and allow to cool for approx. 10 – 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, add the feta into a large bowl and crumb slightly. Break 3 eggs and fold into the feta. I suggest using a fork to fold the eggs and feta into a mixture. You may add other cheese at this stage if you wish, maybe some ricotta.
  • Spread out your puff pastry and roll it out. (See notes below)
  • The spinach and onions should have cooled enough by now to mix them into the egg and feta. Fold all together. The mixture should be thick.
  • Place the mixture into the middle of one slice of the puff pastry. If there is excess liquid, that’s fine. As long as it isn’t excessively runny.
  • Move the mixture around so that it makes a log in the middle. Leave a 2cm border around the spinach.
  • Use the egg wash or the runny liquid from the mixture to coat the bits of pastry on the outside.
  • Place the second slice of puff pastry on top and press around the log. Press the sides down with a fork to seal the pie. Then trim the edges to make it neat.
  • Make a few slits in the top of the pie for evaporation and cooking. Make sure that the pastry is cut all the way through.
  • Place in oven for 25 – 30 minutes. (see note below)

Notes

  • Puff pastry: Make sure you defrost the puff pastry completely. Follow manufacturers instructions. Once defrosted, cut the pastry in half along the longest side. Then roll out the pastry a little.It should be about 30cm by 20 cm.
  • Spinach: You can use frozen spinach as well, just drain and squeeze out all the water. You can use a clean kitchen towel to drain the water out.
  • Oven: When using a convection oven, the pie might be ready after 20 minutes.